CodeRED, a new emergency notification system, will be implemented in Northborough starting on July 1, according to Town Administrator John Coderre.
Because of a discounted proposal brokered by Northborough, surrounding communities are able to be included in the same system at a discounted cost. Both Westborough and Southborough will also be using CodeRED.
"If approved in the FY2014 budget, the service would begin effective July 1," said Coderre. I envision having CodeRED into an upcoming board meeting to go over the functionality of the system."
Westborough will save about $2,500 on a new emergency notification system because Northborough and Southborough plan to use the same product, Westborough Town Manager Jim Malloy says.
CodeRED will be available to the three communities for a discounted price, $8,500, “and that will be the price going into the future,” Malloy told selectmen recently.
Last month, Malloy told selectmen that he budgeted about $11,000 to provide "the same, but better" emergency notification service as Reverse 911 when that ends in July.
Another benefit from using CodeRED is “then every community abutting us, and Westborough, would all be on the same system,” Malloy told selectmen this past week.
CodeRED’s local representative Pete Applegarth described the service:
"The CodeRED system, a service of Emergency Communications Network, was designed specifically to enable local government officials to record, send and track personalized voice, email and text messages to thousands of citizens in minutes. The notification solution is utilized by public safety officials representing all 50 states, as well as Canada."
In Massachusetts, ECN services more than 160 communities and six counties representing nearly 50 percent of the states overall population. In Worcester County CodeRED is used in Shrewsbury, Holden, Auburn, Grafton, Hopedale, Upton, Northbridge, Dudley, Oxford, Hardwick, West Boylston, Ashburnham, Templeton, Westminster, Winchendon, Sterling, Lancaster and Blackstone.
"We have also successfully aided in the recovery of 50 missing persons across the state," said Applegarth.